Protecting Forrest Ackerman’s Ackermansion

Forest Ackerman was a well-known and famed man in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Community. He held numerous tiles over the years; writer, literary agent, magazine editor, film expert, creator of science fiction fandom, but most importantly the world’s most avid collector of genre books and movie memorabilia.

Throughout his lifetime, Ackerman developed a collection of 300’000 items ranging from books, rings, posters, and props. Former Los Angeles mayor, Tom Bradley had hopes of turning his collection into a museum, but the plan fell through. Ackerman sadly had to sell most of his trove due to mounting health bills. When he died in 2008, only 30’000 pieces were left. As fans called his home, the Acker-Mansion faded into a Mini-Mansion.

And now 8 years after his death, Ackerman’s former home is danger of being turned into a parking lot. There have been numerous petitions to have it recognized as a cultural landmark. The whole neighborhood considered the house as a badge of honor.

But the steps are numerous. The Los Feliz Neighborhood Council’s Planning, Zoning & Historic Preservation committee will meet and make a recommendation on January 13, 2016 which the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council could then take up at its January 19th meeting. And then the recommendation would be passed along to the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission and finally City Council.

In the end, the most interesting thing in his collection might have been himself.